Transmission



TRANsMIssIQN r fof J. JANDAsK' Fild'nec. 3o, 1940 June s, 1945.-

ATTORNEYS INVNTOR Patented c.lune i945 2,317,555' TRANSMISSION Joseph Janaasek, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Beny dix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application December 30, 1940, Serial No. 372,299"

f, predetermined value.

8 Claims.

The position of the guide wheel or reaction member in the iiui'd circuit may be iniluenced by variations of fluid pressure developed in the fluid circuit as the device operates. When the guide wheel is withdrawn from the fluid circuit to operate the device as a fluid clutch, it is desirable that some means be provided to initiate movement of the reaction member into the fluid circuit when the turbine or driven Imember becomes overloaded whereupon it is desirable .5to transform the device to operate as a torque converter to multiply torque and transmit it at reduced speed. o

An object of this invention is therefore to provide means associated with a movable reaction member to initiate movement of the reaction member into a power transmitting fluid circuit when the fluid reaction within the circuit approaches a substantially predetermined value accompanied by a decrease in the efliciency of the device while "operating as a fluid c pling.

Another object of the linvention is to provide means operable in one direction of rotation to in the accompanying drawing, sincev the invention 2l) will be apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, submitted for purposes of illustration only, and not intended to define the scope of. the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the subjoined claims.

In the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a transmission embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 vis a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Before explaining in detail the presentiinvention it is to be understood that'the invention is riot limited in its application to 'the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understoodIk that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. A

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be observed that a driving shaft 4 is provided with an impeller housing 6 having impeller blades 1 and an impeller shroud 9. The impeller blades 1 are provided with iianges Il which may be suitably fastened to the shroud 9. 'I 'he blades 1 are`also provided with flanges l'se'cured to the housing 8.

The housing 6 has asubstantially radially exexert an axial thrust on a reaction member of i a fluid unit to initiate movement of the reaction member into a fluid circuit when fluid reaction within the fluid'circuit drops A further object resides in the provision ofa pluralityeof small vortices interposed between relatively movable members operative to exert an axial thrust to move one of the members from the other when the members rotate relative to each other 4at a substantially predetermined speed. l

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of relatively rotatable reaction and im-` peller members `having cooperating means therebetween to exert axial thrust to separate the members when they are juxtaposed and rotating relative to each other at substantially predetermined speed. l y i Other objects and advantages of this invention to a substantially tended portion 8 concentricaliy mounted on a driven shaft l0.

The driven shaft I0 carries a turbine including a hub I2 supporting a web I4 having thereon vanes I6 supporting a shroud I8 and the shroud I8 carries a plurality of vanes 20 supporting a shroud 22. The vane`s I6 and 20 areconnected to the webs I4 and 22 and to the shroud I8 byany suitable means. The impeller and turbineA cooperate to form a power transmittingl fluid circuit 23.

. A stationary sleeve 24 concentrically mounted relative to the driven 'shaft Ill lhas a helically and out of the fluid circuit 23 between the turbine vanes I6 and 20. A suitable bearing 34 mounted on the stationary member 24 may, if desired. be provided ,for the reception of the h'ub 28 of the guide wheel as it is shifted axially rto remove the y stationary member 24.

the fluid outwardly in the direction of the arrow 50. The fluid then impinges against .the walls forming the-channels 42 of the reaction web It will be observed that the guiderwheel vanes 32 are provided with an' axially extended tab 3l adapted to` extend slightly into the power trans- 'mittin'g uuid eireuit when the guide wiieei is' withdrawn from the circuit 4as illustrated in Y rig. 1.

when the deviee is operating as a nuid clutch with the reaction member in the retracted posi#-` tion as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1, the uid circulating in the power transmitting circuit 23 does not exert a force on the tabs 31 of the reaction member to urge the reaction member to shift axially on the stationary member into the fluid circuit. When the turbine becomes overloaded or the eiliciency of transmission vof power as a fluid clutch decreases to a substantially predetermined value, the uid circulating in the circuit 23 exerts a force on the .projections 31 and the reaction A member is rotated in the reverse direction. Re-

i verse rotation of the reaction member actuates the auxiliarymeans employed to initiate movement of the guide wheel member hereinafter described to shift the guide wheel member axially toward the iluid circuit to engage the threads 29 of the hub 28 with the threads 26 of the sta- 'impeller housing li is also formed with a plurality of`v generally circumferentially extended ribs 44 deining generally semi-annular shaped channels 46 therebetween.

In the operationl of this devicepower applied to the driving shaft 4 is employed to energizev a power transmitting fluid and circulate the fluid J in the power transmitting iluid circuit 23. Energy absorbed from the circulating fluid by theturbine vanes and I6 and is transmitted through the web I 4 and hub I2 to drive the driven shaft III. ,Y

When the guide wheel va'nes 32 of the reaction member are introduced into the power trans- Y mitting uid circuit 23 the device operates as a'- torque converter to transmit power `'at increased torque. When the guide wheel vanes 32 are retracted vfrom the fluid circuit, the device operates as a uid clutch or a iluid coupling to transmit power at substantially no torque multiplication.

vWhen the device is operating as a uid clutch the ribs 40 and 44 onthe webs of the reaction and impeller members and 8 respectively lie closely adjacent each other with the channels 42 and 46 inoppositely disposed relation'as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1. When the device is operating, the power transmittingiiuid lls at least a portion of these channels. When the im-v peller housing 8 rotates at a substantially predetermined speedy relative to the reaction web member 30, hich may if desired be free to rotate in the direc ion of the impeller and turbine members, duid win be energized by frietienaieontaet with the walls forming the channels 48 to direct member 30. The channels 46 and 42 thus act as small vortices vor impeller and turbine members to exert lateral'thrust on the reaction web member 30 urging the guide wheel vvanes 32 towards the power transmitting duid circuit 23.

Attention is at this point called vto the fact that when the difference of the speed of rotation of the impeller housing 6 relative to the guide wheel ap- '.proaches a substantially predetermined speed while the device is operating as a fluid clutch with the guide' wheel flange 3|! in the position shown in full lines, fluid pressure is developed -in the channels 48 and 42 to urge the guide wheel flange member 30 axially on the stationary member 24 to introduce the guide wheel vanes 32 into the uid circuit thereby initiating the transformation of the device to operate as a torque converter.

If desired, means associated with the guide Wheel flange may be provided to engage the stop member 36 and exert a force to urge the guide wheel member towardthe uid circuit when the fluid reaction developed within the circuit tends to rotate the guide wheel member in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of the impeller and turbine. One desirable structure of such an actuating means may comprise a plurality of generally angularly disposed thrust pins 63 inter- 'posed between axially -spaced cage members 32 and El. Some of the thrustpins 60 may be provided with light coiled springs 66 as illustrated in Fig. 2`. Y

In the operation of this device, when the reac tion member is withdrawn from the uid circuit to operate the device as a. :duid clutch as illustrated in Solid lines in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines in Fig. 2 the cage member 84 engages-the stop member 36. The cage member 34 has a limited axial and annular movement determined by a lugV on the member' movable in the slot 33 of the hub 28. I'he thrust pins 6o and springs 6I collapse asillustrated in dotted lines in 2. The

springs 66 yieldingly urge the cage member 34 into engagement with the stationary member 3l, and when in the clutch operating position a slight force is exerted to urge the hub 23 axially to ini- .tiate shifting movement of the guide wheel into becomes overloadedi the uid reaction within the power transmitting fluid circuit 23 exerted against the tabs 3l onl the vanes 32 tends to rotate the guide wheel ilange 30 in the direction.

opposite to the direction of rotation of the device.

j The cage member 64 then frictionally engages the stop member 36 to restrain the cage member I4 from moving backwardly relative to the stop member 36. Y Since the cage member B2 rotates opposite the direction of rotation of the device. relative to the ca ge member i4 whereupon the thrust pins 6l are moved angularly 4toward thel full line positions illustrated in Fig. 2 towardx axial alignment ,with the stationary member 24 and drivenmember i3. An axial thrust is then exerted on vthe cage member l2 and guide wheel atingwithtlie hub :s tom-ge. the members internal guide wheel hub and flange axially a short distance to engage helical threads 29 of the hub .28 with the the external helical threads 2S of the stationary member 24. As soon as these hel' :al threads engage, uid reaction within the power transmitting iiuid circuit 23 exerted on the guide wheel 32 urges the guide wheel torotate reversely and the helical threads move the guide wheel 32 into the power transmitting iiuid circuit. As the guide wheel 32 moves trated in dotted lines transformed to operateV multiply torque speed. It will be understood 4 6 in the guide wheel spectively, and the Fig. 2, are merely illus into the `iiuid circuit as illusin Fig. l, the device is as a torque converter to and transmit power at lower that the channels I2 and and impeller 3U and 8 re` thrust pins 60 illustrated in trative examples of various means whereby the guide wheel member may be initially moved axially relative to 2l or driven shaft within the power transmitting a force on the stationary member the nuid reaction iluid circuit exerts member to move it in guide Wheel the reverse direction of rotation over the direction in which it rotates when the device is I claim:

operating as a clutch. If desired, both. the channels I2 and 46 and the be employed simultaneand springs initially urging the reaction member into the uid circuit, and fluid passage means augmenting the mechanical means when :luid reaction in the iiuid circuit causesthe guide wheel to rotate reversely to the of the impeller and tan-bine.

2. A transmission comprising an impeller land a turbine providing in conjunction with one another a wheel adapted to spiral power transmitting iiuid circuit. a guide into and out of the iluid circuit, mechanical means including thrust pins and springs Vsleeved axial thrust 3, A ingimpe1ler,an

mltting nuid circuit, a spiral into and partly Ethnistpins on the pins imposing an 0n theguide wheel when it is re- .m I a iluid energizenery absorbing turbine cooperimpeller to provide a power trans- Vguide wheel adaptedfto out ot the iluid circuit,

and temida num emula between the impeuerund une guide when effective to augthe guide wheel upon reaction in the fluid cirtion of rotation to the direction of rotation of the impeller and turbine. l A

4. A fluid operated transmission comprising a rotatable housing, an impeller carried by the housing for energizing fluid, an energy absorbing turbine in the housing and cooperating with the impeller to provide a power transmitting fluid circuit, a guide wheel adapted to spiral into and substantially, out of the fluid circuit, a plu rality of toroidal circuits between the housing and the guide wheel effective to impart an axial thrust on the guide wheel when fluid reaction occurs in the circuit resulting in rotation of the guide wheel reversely to the direction of rotation of the impeller and turbine members.

5. A transmission comprising an impeiller for energizing iiuid, a turbine for absorbing energy from the uid providing in conjunction with one another a'power transmitting uid circuit. a.I

guide wheel adapted to spiral into and substanenergy from the uid providing in conjunction.

with the impeller a. power transmitting iiuid circuit, a guide wheel adapted to spiral into and substantially out of the uid circuit, a ring having limited angular and axial movement on the guide wheel, thrust members supported between the guide wheel and ring transversely with respiral into and mounted on the tween the guide guide wheel is in position spect to the axis of the guide wheel, and a. stop for the ring.

7. A transmission comprising an` impeller for energizing iiuid, a turbine for absorbing energy from the uid cooperating with the impellerto provide a .power transmitting iiuid circuit, a stationary member, a guide wheel adapted to substantially out of the circuit when out of the circuit, a. member guide vwheel for limited rotation and axial movement, thrust pins supported bewheel and the member transversely with respect to the axis of the guide wheel, and a' stop on the .stationary member providingan abutment' for the member when the for free rotation.

8.A transmission comprising an impeller for and to rotate energizing iluid, a turbine for absorbing energy 55' from the fluid providing in conjunction with the impeller a power transmitting duid circuit, a

stationary member, a guide wheel adapted to spiral into and substantially out of the circuit and to rotate when substantially'out oi the circuit, a ring mounted for ited axial movement on ring transversely with respect to the axis oi' the the guide wheel reversely l guide wheel. and a stop. on the stationary mem- -bercfor engagement with the ring when the guide free rotation.

wheel is in position for f JOSEPH axial movement; and thrust slight rotation and lim'- the guide wheel, thrust pins supported between the guide wheel and the 

